Aftermath of a Sacrifice
by TheManLostinTime
Summary: Choices. Choices haunt us on every path we take. Some choices bare much greater consequences. That's the realization that Max Caulfield came to on the cliff with the storm baring down on Arcadia Bay. There is where she found her truth. Sacrifice.
1. Chapter 1: Choice and Consequence

Chapter 1: Choice and Consequence

The Wind...

The Rain...

The Storm...

It was bearing down on the small town of Arcadia Bay. All she could do is stand there and watch helplessly. Her hands were shaking, but unwavering from the object held in her hands. A photo. The photo was a simple picture with a blue butterfly on a mop bucket. But the picture was so much more than that. It was a picture of a an event that set everything in motion. A picture of a moment that had changed her life forever. A picture that brought a light back into her life that she hadn't had in a long time. A picture of _her._ Chloe Price. Her one time best friend that was now so much more.

"What are you waiting for Max?! You have to go! No one in this town deserves to die like this. Arcadia Bay may have taken everything from me but no one deserves this. It has to be stopped! Even if that means I have to die."

Max glanced over at the girl that had been thrown back into her life. The girl the butterfly had returned to her. Blue hair, punk clothes, and a beauty unmatched by time. Max could feel the world shattering around her. On one hand she has Arcadia Bay and all the innocent people. On the other she had Chloe who she had worked tirelessly to save. It wasn't fair! Why did Chloe have to die? Why did any of them have to die? She couldn't figure out why it had to be this way. She kept going over it in her mind. All of the events that had gone down over the week. Every little detail. Finally it hit her. Chloe had died in one of the time lines. She had died the night before the storm. It didn't have to come, but it did anyways. Maybe Chloe wasn't the link. Maybe the link was something else. She though about all the time lines and the only thing that truly linked them together. Like an epiphany of a doomed man she saw the only link between all of them. Herself. Max Caulfield. She was the only thing keeping all time lines together. She saw only one way so that neither had to be sacrificed. With a finally glance at the girl she had fallen in love with she focused on the picture in her hands.

With the sound of a click a whiz the world came back into focus. The butterfly was fluttering away and she was looking at the bucket. She was back in the past. Back when it all started. Before everything went to hell. She heard the door slam open and close. She heard a boy talking to himself that she knew all too well now. The voice of none other than Nathan Prescott. Someone that deserved everything that came at them. Then the door opened again. And she heard her voice. Chloe Price right on cue. She had heard this conversation a thousand times in her head. It didn't change. She heard all of as she waited for the perfect moment. Finally when the time came she stepped out with her camera and snapped the picture. **Click!** Nathan pivoted on his heal and pulled the trigger. **Bang!** She felt it instantly and she dropped her camera. She looked down at her chest to see a small hole in the middle of her torso. She could see red bleeding out from the hole and pain like she had never felt before. She stumbled back until her back landed against the wall. She heard the sound of something metal clattering against the ground. She just looked up to see Nathan Prescott and Chloe Price wide eyed. She could feel her legs giving out on her so she tried to find the strength to sit down but only found enough to slide down the wall.

"Max?!"

Max could only look up at her, but when she tried to speak she could only sputter as the blood had started to build up in her mouth. Chloe rushed over to her as she sat there on the floor with her shirt only growing damper with her own blood. She was loosing strength fast and it was becoming harder to breathe. She didn't know what all was going on it was becoming blurry. She reached up just to touch Chloe's face one more time. She smiled one last smile before the world went black.

She awoke in a room that looked like a study with a fireplace and 2 chairs sat in front of it. She looked around to see Bookcases filled with books and a desk with more books on it. What was strange to her was no door. No matter how she turned or where she looked she couldn't see a door.

"Miss Caulfield. I've been expecting you. Please, have a seat. I will be with you shortly."

She looked around and couldn't see anyone around her, but something told her she was safe and to listen to the voice. She walked over to the chairs in front of the fireplace and took a seat in the left most chair. She waited for only a few moments before she heard footsteps approaching from behind her. The steps ended beside her before she looked over to see what looked like an older man sitting in the chair.

"Miss Caulfield. I've wondered when I would see you here," the man stated to her.

"What do you mean 'when you would see me here?' As far as I know we've never met before," replied Max as she wondered what was going on.

"That's a good thing Miss Caulfield. Especially since no one is supposed to see me until the end."

"The end? What do you mean?"

"Miss Caulfield, I'm afraid I must be the bearer of bad news here. I'm afraid that you have been killed."

Max didn't know what to say. She was stunned by the revelation of what she had just heard. She looked on at the man waiting for him to continue.

"Miss Caulfield, you are dead, but you see there is an issue with that. You see Miss Caulfield, you are not supposed to be the person sitting in that chair today. But I didn't have to tell you that. You already know who was supposed to be in that chair."

Max knew exactly who was supposed to be in that chair.

"Chloe..."

"Precisely Miss Caulfield. Miss Price was supposed to bear the consequences of her actions and choices today. But you have done something that no one before you has done knowingly. You have altered time itself."

Max could only look on as she watched the man rise from his chair wand walk over in front of the fireplace and stare into the flames.

"Miss Caulfield, you have withstood everything I have done to try and fix the timeline that was supposed to happen. Every single challenge. You have done everything I expected of you, but still you changed everything to keep her alive. Finally it came down to the ultimatum. Thousands or her," he walked back over to the chairs and sat down before looking into Max Caulfield's eyes.

"But you made a choice I did not foresee. You mad a choice very few would be willing to make. You made the ultimate sacrifice for that girl that was doomed by time. You sacrificed yourself."

Max could only stare at the man as he stared into what felt like her very soul.

"Now I have one question for you Miss Caulfield and I want a straight forward answer from you. And the question is this. Why?"

Max looked at the man and with out hesitation she answered him instantly.

"Because Chloe Price is my world. Without her I would be lost. So for me the choice was simple. I would sacrifice everything for her. Even myself."

But are you so sure she would do the same for you Miss Caulfield. And I don't mean the choice at the lighthouse. I meant if the choice was you or her. Do you believe that she would make the sacrifice? Do you trust and love her enough to believe that she would make the same choice?"

Max thought to herself for a moment while the man waited for his answer. She took a moment before she finally replied,"I don't know if she would honestly, but I would like to think she would."

"But Miss Caulfield, what if she wouldn't and you knew she wouldn't. Would you still make that choice? Knowing that she wouldn't?"

Max looked at the man once again. This time she stared right back into the eyes of the man and responded without hesitation, "Without hesitation."

"Well Miss Caulfield, we are at an impasse. You see Miss Caulfield, this is not your time. Granted no one has a set in stone time, but you in particular are not supposed to be the one with an ending timeline. But I see now that no matter the consequence you will not allow Miss Price to die today. You are doing something that no one else has ever done. You are cheating death. Normally Miss Caulfield I would find a way to prevent this, but there is another issue." The man stood up and walked back over to the fireplace before putting his right hand on the mantle and leaning against it. "The memories you have are ones I can not seam to eliminate. You see Miss Caulfield, everyone controls their timeline through choices and actions. Miss Price didn't have to go to that school that day. No ones destiny is set in stone Miss Caulfield. Everyone's choices make or break them. So Miss Caulfield what I'm gonna do is let this one slide, but at a cost Miss Caulfield. Your powers will be taken and you will have to deal with whatever else comes as it should be. This is the only time I will allow death to be cheated. Never again. Do not allow yourself or Miss Price to get into anymore trouble. Your time does not end here, but you are not out of the woods yet Miss Caulfield. All I can do is wish you good luck."

Max looked on at the man before choosing her words wisely, "But I thought you said I was dead?"

"For all intents and purposes, you are Miss Caulfield. In your timeline paramedics have just arrived and are attempting to revive you. Time passes differently in here. We have had a conversation in here that could have lasted a life time or just a few seconds. It all depends on how I choose to let time flow."

Max looked at the man in front of her and finally asked a question that had been bugging her since she got here, "Who are you sir?"

The man chuckled to himself before turning around and talking to her, "I've been called many things over the course of history, but none of these things really matter Miss Caulfield. We don't have enough time to sit here and discuss them all. Your time here is almost up Miss Caulfield. I will tell you this before you go. You will face many trials and you will be challenged and you will either overcome them or be crushed by them. The choice is yours. Just know that death will not be cheated again in this way so choose wisely. Now Miss Caulfield I believe you have people waiting for you. Good luck Miss Caulfield. You will need it."

Max went to speak before everything started to spin and she felt herself being pulled away. She let her eyes slowly shut.

She could hear a machine beeping to her left and another that sounded like a something going in than out. She could feel her chest go up and down every time that machine made the noise. She was trying to open her eyes, but was finding it difficult. She felt like her eyes hadn't been opened in a long time. She tried to move her arm and couldn't. It felt so heavy. Finally her eyes opened slowly. All she could see was white above her. She tried to turn her head but felt something on her face. She tried to look down and saw what looked like a blow and white plastic tube running into her nose and mouth. She tried to look around and decipher what was going on and where she was.

"Ryan! Get the nurse and doctor! Hurry!"

She recognized that voice, but it felt like a life time since she heard it. She tried to look the direction it came from only to feel pain rack her body at the effort. The pain seamed to come from her chest. The machine started to beep faster as the pain felt like it was getting more severe. She managed to glance to her right as a man in white came up to her. She felt a prick in her neck and the world faded to black again. She awoke again at a later time and looked down to see the tube gone and replaced with a see through plastic mask. She looked to her right to see someone sitting in a chair sleeping. She looked to her left and saw someone else sitting there in a chair reading a book. She tried to say something but it came out as a pained groan. The person looked up from the book to reveal themselves as none other than her father, Ryan Caulfield. He stood up and walked to her bedside.

"Hey angel. Glad to have you back," he said to her as she could see tears forming in his eyes. He reached over and hit the call nurse button on the side of the bed. Shortly after the nurse came in and saw the formerly comatose patient had awaken again. She left the room to get a doctor and came back a short time after that with the doctor. He checked her over to see if he could find anything wrong with her and found nothing. After initial tests the doctors left the room to leave her in peace. At this moment her mother moved from her chair and stood beside her bed.

"Maxine, honey. We were so worried about you. We haven't left your side since we got here."

"Calm down Vanessa. She just woke up. Let her adjust." He reached over and poured a glass of water and put a straw in it. He raised the hospital bed to help her sit up some more. Then moved the mask and let her take a drink. It felt like she hadn't drank in years as the water hit her tongue and slid down her throat. She looked at her father and managed to rasp out a meager, "How long?"

"You've been a coma for 2 months honey. Your body took a lot of damage. You a gunshot to your chest honey. The doctors said you were dead for a full 60 seconds before they revived you. The bullet went through your chest and pierced your lungs before becoming logged in your spine. They managed to get it out but they don't know if there will be any long term damage."

Max sat there processing everything before she remembered why she took the bullet and rasped out once again, "Chloe?"

Ryan and Vanessa looked at each other before looking at her, "Honey, Chloe is alright, but she isn't doing too well. After the paramedics revived you and got you to the hospital she blamed herself for what happened. She went off the deep end. She tore out of the hospital and no one could find her. Finally someone went to the junkyard and found her in an old metal hut. She had a gun and had it to her head. She was ready to pull the trigger until they managed to stop her. She's been in the Arcadia Bay Mental Institution ever since."

Max looked at her father horrified. She started to move to get out of bed before Ryan and Vanessa stopped her. "Honey you can't move. You've just woken up from a coma. Your muscles haven't been used in a long time. You need to go to rehab and get yourself back in shape."

Max looked up at them and rasped again, " Don't...care...Chloe."

"Chloe will be there another time. Right now we need to focus on you. So stay there and relax."

"Need...to see...her."

"Honey you can't move this soon. Relax."

Max was growing tired of this game. She finally managed to user her voice louder than a meager rasp. She gathered all her strength one heart felt yell with tears in her eyes, "Please!"

Ryan and Vanessa looked at her before looking at each other. They reached for the phone to make a call and see what they could do.

The phone rang at one Two Whales Diner for a moment before anyone picked up.

"Two Whales Diner. Joyce Speaking."

"Hello Joyce, its Ryan Caulfield."

"Ryan? What's going on?"

"Max is awake."

Joyce was stunned. Almost enough to drop the phone but she caught herself.

"When did she wake up?"

"Just a few minutes ago Joyce. The only thing shes been speaking about since she woke up is Chloe."

"Why Chloe?"

"We don't know. But she wont stop asking for her or trying to go to her. I think we need to get them together to see each other."

"How are we gonna do that? Max can't exactly go to her and Chloe is under constant surveillance at the Institution."

"Is it possible to get a day pass for her?"

"I don't know if that's such a good idea Ryan. Last time she was out we almost lost her."

"It might do them both some good and help them recover. I think they both really need this."

"Do you really think this will do them some good?"

"Something tells me its the only thing Joyce."

"I will see what I can do Ryan, but no promises," Joyce hung the phone up before yelling into the back. "John I'm taking an early day today. It's important."

"Its alright Joyce I could hear you in the back. Go take care of your girl." And with that Joyce was off to see about getting her daughter out for a day.

Joyce arrived at the institution roughly 15 minutes after leaving the diner. She had found a spot close to the front and parked. She approached the door with some hesitation in her mind. Finally she decided this was the only way. She walked into the lobby and up to the front desk.

"Welcome to Arcadia Bay Institute for Mental Wellness. How can I assist you today?" 

"I'm here to see about possibly getting a one day pass for my daughter."

"And who might be your daughter ma'am?"

"Chloe Price."

"Just a moment ma'am," the woman typed at her computer looking for something.

"Ma'am I am afraid you will have to consult with her doctor here on this matter."

"And whats his name?"

"Doctor William Davis. I will page him for you."

"Thank you very much." Joyce waited in the lobby for a good 15 minutes before a middle aged man came walking in with black slacks and a gray turtle neck sweater.

"You must be Chloe's mother. Nice to meet you. I am William Davis. Chloe's new Psychiatrist."

"Nice to meet you Dr. Davis. What happened to Chloe's previous doctor?"

"He felt that he couldn't get her to open up so he was being of no use to her. So he asked me to take over as her new primary psychiatrist a few days ago."

"Has there been any change in her condition?"

"I'm afraid not Mrs. Madsen. She is still reclusive and refuses to talk to anyone. She just sits in a comatose state looking out the windows at the light house on the other side of the trees."

"Do you think it would be possible to get a day pass for her to go with me somewhere?"

"I don't see why not, but I don't know what good it will do Mrs. Madsen. We can barely get her to move. Let alone talk. If she agrees to go I will write the pass."

"I think she will talk when I tell her why she is leaving."

"If you say so Mrs. Madsen. Please follow me." Dr. Davis turned on his heals and led Joyce down the hallway to a room that seamed to be used for recreation. Joyce looked and could see her daughter sitting in the corner staring out the window. No longer was her hair blue nor was she in punk clothing. She now wore the standard patient pajamas and her hair had grown back out to its natural color with all the dyed hair being cut away a long time ago. Joyce approached her daughter cautiously and sat down at the table with her.

"Chloe honey, are you there? It's me. Your mother. Joyce." Chloe looked over at her and just stared at her with a lost expression on her face. "Honey I have some news and I think you need to hear it." Chloe seamed to focus more on her and waited to hear what she had been expecting to hear for a long time. That her one time best friend, that had chose to come back into her life at the absolute worst time, was now dead. She had expected it for so long now. One more person leaving her all alone. One more broken memory. One more lost connection.

"Chloe...Max woke up." Chloe didn't expect that. Its like all at once all of her focus came back to her. Everything was back in place. She shot straight up out of her chair and looked at her mother in the face.

"What did you say mom?!" Those 5 words. The first words she had spoken in well over a month.

"Max is alive honey and awake. She has awoken and is in the hospital recovering." Chloe Price's eyes were darting all around looking to see if anyone was laughing at her like it was a sick joke of some kind. Like they were trying to just get a rise out of her. But no laugh came. No one stood around jotting notes down on a clipboard or in a notebook. Just her, her mother, and Dr. Davis.

"I have to see her mom. I have to see it for myself. I have to see it with my own eyes. Please!"

Calm down Chloe. Dr. Davis has given us his permission to take you out for the day. But this isn't a permanent outing honey. You will have to come back here until you show progress. Do you understand that?"

"Yes, mom, yes for the love of god yes! I have to see her! Please!"

"Dr. Davis can you get me that pass now please?"

A dumb founded Dr. Davis just stood there looking at them. He knew that no one had been able to get her to talk for over a month. He finally snapped out of it long enough to reply to them. "Um...yea I will handle it. You two go on ahead and I will deal with the paperwork later."

"Joyce took her daughters hand and led her out of the institute and to her car. Chloe got in the passenger side and closed the door looking out the window. Joyce climbed into the drivers side and started the car. Chloe hadn't been in a car in over a month and it felt like a tidal wave of emotions were overcoming her. Regret, angst, fear, doubt, but than the most powerful of all of them came through. The one she need the most. The one she hadn't felt since they told her Rachel was gone and that they didn't know if Max was ever going to wake up. Hope. She had hope again for the first time in a long time. She hoped it wasn't another sick play at her miserable life.

Joyce pulled out on the road and it took 25 minutes to drive back into town and reach the hospital. They pulled in and found a parking spot close to the front. Joyce got out first and walked over to the passenger side and let her daughter out. She took he hand and led her into the hospital and to the elevators up to the 4th floor. They walked down the hall to a room neither of them had been into in over a month. Chloe was terrified. If this was some sick joke they were playing on her it would be the end of her. She couldn't take another cruel joke like that. Not again. The door opened slowly, but it felt like an eternity to her. Finally the door was open all the way and there she sat. No longer with the tubes running into her mouth and nose. She sat there looking over towards the door with glistening eyes. Chloe couldn't hold it in anymore. The tears started flowing freely as she walked into the room and approached the bed of her once best friend and savior.

"Max? Is that really you?" Max could only nod her head in response and let out a raspy response.

"Its...me...Chloe."

Chloe reached out tentatively. As if she would break her if she touched her with even the smallest amount of pressure. Finally when her hand got close enough Max found the strength to lift her hand and take hers in her own and guide it up to her cheek. There is where Max placed her hand on the right side of her face as she nuzzled it, tears flowing down on Chloe's palm. Chloe took Max's hand and brought it up to her cheek slowly and nuzzled it as well. It was as if all the pressure in the world had lifted off of them. They let the tears flow as they simply stared at each other and the parents looked on in amazement and wonder. And for once in the last 2 months, everything felt like it was gonna be alright again.

Author's Note: Well this is my first attempt to take a story and make it dramatic and put my own spin into it. I hope everyone likes it and enjoys what they read so far. Leave your comments and criticism below (hopefully not too harsh). And hope to see you next time. :)


	2. Chapter 2: The Road to Recovery

Chapter 2: The Road to Recovery

It had been 2 weeks since Max Caulfield had awoken from her trauma induced coma. Doctors had been running tests non-stop to see if there was any major permanent damage to her spinal cord or nervous system from the bullet that had lodged itself in her spin. So far they hadn't found any glaring problems but were taking things slow for the sake of their patient. They had given permission for Max to start attending physical rehabilitation to help her get back on her feet. She was set to start after the weekend. Max wasn't the only one that had made progress. Chloe Price had been talking more to her psychiatrist and opening up about her emotional trauma. She had been going over the loss of her father and had been coming to accept it rather than run from it as she had before. She was starting to realize she wasn't alone in the wold and could trust people for help. One of the biggest things that had helped her realize this was the realization that the person she thought to have abandoned her had came back into her life. That person was Max Caulfield. Her childhood best friend. But not only had she came back into her life, she had almost died for her. Max Caulfield had taken a bullet for her in the Blackwell Academy bathroom 2 months prior.

The events following the shooting had been explained to Max a few days after she had awoke. Nathan Prescott had been arrested for having shot her. He was facing attempted murder charges for the shooting and assault with a deadly weapon charges for having pulled the weapon on Chloe Price. Nathan had offered evidence against one Mark Jefferson and the body of another girl that had been killed in exchange for a plea deal. Nathan would be spending the remainder of his days in a mental institution up state that specialized in cases such as his. Mark Jefferson had been charged with kidnapping, unlawful imprisonment, man slaughter charges, as well as several other charges. He would be lucky if he ever saw the light of day again. As part of Nathan Prescott's deal he had revealed the location of Rachel Amber's body that had been buried in a shallow grave outside of town in the junkyard. The Prescotts had suffered massive media backlash for their involvement of the murder and kidnappings and had sold their assets in Arcadia Bay and moved out of country. No one knew where they had gone but everyone was glad that they had left. The city was recovering and moving in the right direction.

Chloe's mother Joyce had been moving to see if she could get Chloe released from the mental health institution. Doctor Davis was willing to let her be released as long as she kept coming to see him and work through her problems. She had agreed and was set to be released on the same day that Max was to start rehabilitation. Joyce's husband and Chloe's stepfather David Madsen was ecstatic to hear of Chloe's soon release and he and Joyce had went to work getting the house perfect for her return. Contrary to what Chloe thought David Madsen cared about her just as much as he cared about Joyce. Both women were his whole world. He had been racked with guilt when Max Caulfield had been shot that day. He didn't really know the girl but he saw what it did to Chloe and he felt helpless not being able to protect her from it. When Rachel Amber's body was found he felt even more guilty for having failed to protect the students of Blackwell like he had wanted to. He had sunk into a depression and had began sleeping less and less as he kept pushing to have surveillance cameras installed at Blackwell to keep something like that from ever happening again. Joyce had finally had to sit him down and force him to talk to her about it. He had opened up to her and was starting to move past it. He had dropped the plans to put surveillance cameras all over campus and was now trying to get them placed in important areas outside and the main hallways inside the school.

Blackwell had begun to move on from the tragedy as well. The students of Mark Jefferson had been shocked to hear about the atrocities their beloved teacher had committed. The one that had taken it the hardest though was Victoria Chase. She had idolized Jefferson and Nathan was like a brother to her so the revelations had hit her harder than anyone. She had felt horrible for the things she had said to Kate Marsh and the way she had mercilessly berated the girl and beaten her down for the video that had been taken at the Vortex Club party. She had went to Kate's room a few days after the evidence had been presented against Mark Jefferson and Nathan Prescott with the intent of talking to Kate about how she had treated her. When she had arrived at her door she was apprehensive and hesitant about going through with it, but knew she had to apologize for how she had treated the poor girl. She reached out and lightly knocked on the door and waited with baited breathe for the door to be answered. When the door finally opened she was face to face with the girl she had tormented for weeks now and wasn't prepared for what happened next. Victoria Chase for the first time in a long time lost control and broke down crying in the face of Kate Marsh. She openly wept as she begged the girl to forgive her for her transgressions against her. She knew that she didn't deserve it after the way she had acted but she couldn't help but hope that the girl at least wouldn't hate her forever. What happened next shocked Victoria like she had never been shocked before. Kate Marsh had stepped out of her room and took Victoria Chase into a comforting embrace and was consoling her. Kate Marsh who she had tormented, and had ever right to despise her, was consoling her like a mother would console a child and had led her into her room and out of the prying eyes in the girls dormitory hallway.

Victoria sat and cried into Kate's shoulder until the tears finally had subsided and was now sitting on the girl's bed. That night Kate and Victoria had talked like they never had before. Kate had forgiven her and had talked with her about her family and church. Victoria hadn't knew much about the girl before that except she was an avid church goer. She found that the girl was much deeper than she had anticipated and enjoyed talking to someone who wasn't out for themselves and fake. The only other person that she had in her life like that was Taylor Christensen. Her other 'friend' Courtney Wagner was only friends with her so that she could be popular and she knew it. The girl didn't even try to hide it for crying out loud! It sickened her. She hadn't had but 2 real friends in the world and one was now heading to life incarceration at a mental institution and the other was currently out and about in the Bay. She had enjoyed the conversation she had had with Kate Marsh that night and had told Kate a bit about her family as well. Victoria had never really been into church or religion, but Kate didn't put her down for her beliefs and she hadn't tried to force her beliefs on her. For the first time in a long time Victoria felt like she might have another real friend in Kate and when she had left the next morning she had asked if they could be friends. Kate had told her she would like that and the two had parted to get their rest.

Warren Graham had taken the news of Max's shooting hard and had retreated into himself for a short time. He wasn't entirely sure about how he had felt about the brunette but had come to realize that it wasn't what he thought he felt. He realized his feelings weren't those of infatuation when Brooke Scott same to him worried about his reclusive state. She and he had had an argument in which she had confessed in anger that she liked him to his astonishment. He had never guessed anyone felt any particular way about him except as the weird science guy. It was then that he realized his feelings for max were of strong friendship instead of ones of love. He had asked Brooke out a few days after that and she had accepted and they had been going strong ever since. He had made visits to see max in the hospital, but they had gotten less frequent to the point where he hadn't been going but once every few weeks. When he had heard news of her awakening he had went to Brooke and asked her if she would like to come with him to see her to which she had accepted. Max and Brooke where never really friends but she new that Warren thought of Max as a good friend and she wasn't going to deny him his friend. Even if she did get jealous at the thought and sight of them talking together so easily.

Dana and Trevor had been by with Justin being dragged along as well. They were happy to see Max recovering and well after such a hectic turn events just a few months prior. Juliet had come by as well and had gotten an interview with the local hero of Blackwell. All in all Blackwell had moved on from the events and was prospering. They had already hired a new teacher for the photography program. This one had come all the way from Germany and was world famous for his work with landscape photography. Blackwell had moved on and so had most of the students. Now everything was back to the same mundane routine.

When Monday had finally rolled around Max was nervous. She knew that she hadn't used her legs to walk in 2 months and she wasn't sure if she was ready. The doctors had reassured her that everything was going to be fine and that all of her tests had come back negative. So with a final sigh she had allowed them to wheel her down to the rehabilitation wing. On the way there her anxiety had started to build until the rounded a corner and there stood the one person that could make it all just disappear in an instant. Chloe Price. The girls smiled at each other before they the doctor rolled Max into the room followed closely by the blue haired punkette.

Her first day wasn't as bad as she thought it would be. They had simply worked on getting her muscles used to having weight on them again. They had had her next to some support bars and had had her stand up and get used to the feeling of being on her feet again. She felt it in every muscle and bone as she would stand. It didn't hurt but felt more like a sore twinge that annoyed her more than anything else. After 2 hours they had decided that they had done enough for the day and had decided that her rehab would be 3 days a week until she was recovered. Her next day would be Wednesday. They had decided to let Chloe wheel her wherever she wanted to go as long as they didn't leave the hospital.

Chloe and Max had decided to go out to a small garden that was in a small courtyard in the center of the hospital. They had took a few turns and had arrived at the doors. Outside the doors sat a few benches, a small fountain, and a few picnic tables. They went over to one of the tables and had sat there and just watched the fountain in peace. They had already discussed the 5 years apart over the previous 2 weeks and had moved past the issue. Now they just enjoyed having the other back in their lives. Best friends and partners in crime once again.

Max couldn't help but steal small glances at the blue haired girl beside her and wonder how she was going to approach her with her feelings. She knew that this Chloe had no knowledge of the events that had transpired in the alternate time lines so she had never fallen in love with her. But Max still had her feelings and after having been able to think had realized that she had loved her even before that. Max had decided that even if it took a lifetime that she would make Chloe fall in love with her all over again. Max couldn't help but feel like she had an up hill battle ahead of her. She still had to recover from the shooting and coma after all. But she knew that this was nothing compared to what she had been through before. She did have to admit though that she still got phantom pains from it. They had her on some low dose painkillers and muscle relaxers for when the pain got particularly annoying, but she could handle it.

Chloe had been watching the fountain and had been noticing the occasional glance from Max at her. She didn't know what to think about the glances but she knew they were of someone that thought of you as more than a friend. She would never call the girl out on them as she didn't want it to turn out to be misread signals by her. She wasn't sure how she felt about the small brown haired girl, but she knew she was happy that she was back in her life. It had been far too long since she had had a good friend in this town. She was getting back to feeling like she had a family again with her mother and step father. Her therapy had been helping her and she was happy she had decided to try it. Her first day back to the house David had walked up to her and she thought he had wanted to start in on her, but she was surprised when he had done something he had never, and she had never let him, do before. He hugged her. It had felt strange to her at first, but then it had felt comforting.

"Welcome home Chloe." These 3 words hit her like a tone of bricks. She hadn't felt like she had a home in a long time, but she had felt like maybe she could make her house a home for her again. Things hadn't been over night but the past few weeks had given her a chance to get to know David and actually see how he treated her mother. She finally could see that David treated her mother like a queen. Anything she wanted him to get or do for her was done without question. She had never taken the time to just see how they had interacted with one another. David did truly make her mother happy and that was enough for her now. She had also reconciled with her mother and had apologized for the way she had been acting for years towards her.

Both girls sat in comfortable silence for a short while before they decided to head back to Max's room for some rest. They had just gotten back to the room when the hospital had made it's stop on her level for lunch. She just loved the hospital food so much that she begged Chloe to sneak her in something from anywhere that wasn't here. Chloe had laughed at her, but refused to bring her anything from the outside. She had reasoned that the food selected by the hospital would help her recover faster, but really should just enjoyed watching her suffer. Chloe had went down to the cafeteria and had gotten herself some food as well and had brought it back to her room to have lunch with her friend. They sat and watched a really bad soap opera that just made them laugh at how cheesy the story and lines were. When they had finished with their food Chloe took their trays and put them on them on the return cart outside in the hallway.

They had chilled until Chloe had decided that it was time for her to make her way home since she had an early appointment in the morning for her therapy session. So with a hug they had parted. Max was left to herself with the occasional nurse visiting. Max hated this the most. Her parents had had to go back to Seattle for work so she was basically left on her own until Chloe decided to visit again. Her friends from Blackwell didn't really make trips out to see her that often, but she didn't hold that against them. She knew that had lives of their own so they couldn't spend every waking minute with her. What she hated most about this was the memories she had to deal with.

When she was by herself she would be haunted by the memories of the past time lines and what she had seen and done in them. She didn't tell anyone but she would have nightmares some nights. They would be about the storm, the gunshot, but the worst of them were of the times Chloe had died. She couldn't stand those nights. She would wake up in a cold sweat and crying. She wasn't sure if she would ever truly move past those times, but with the Chloe that was here and ok she felt like she could at least deal with them. Chloe was here now and that was what truly mattered. She had saved Arcadia Bay and Chloe and that would be all that ever truly mattered. And with that thought in mind Max drifted off to a peaceful slumber.

Author's Note: Thanks everyone for the reviews and I'm glad that you are all enjoying it so far. I'm working on the spacing and repetitive uses of certain things. I'm not the best author so I will do my best to get better at it in the future. Also as to why she had to die it wasn't all of her choices just that particular one. Its along the lines of every choice bears a consequence at the choice she made to attempt to blackmail had lead her to that end result. I appreciate all of your reviews everyone and hope to keep bringing you entertaining chapters and hope you keep leaving me helpful reviews. :)


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